About Dr. Rutter
I have more than 20 years of experience as both a counseling psychologist and a clinical supervisor for aspiring psychologists. I have offices in both Center City, Philadelphia, and Pitman, New Jersey, where I meet with clients for individual, couples, or family therapy.
While I tailor my services to meet the broad needs of my clients, I have several niche areas of expertise. One is suicide assessment and prevention, and another is the LGBT population. Often these two interests intersect. In January 2011, I was appointed to the LGBT Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention . Regionally I serve as a member of the Pennsylvania’s Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative. From 2011 to 2013 I served as Clinical Division Director for the American Association of Suicidology and as Vice Chair for the association’s Executive Board.
I have published articles and studies on LGBT mental health, affirmative psychotherapy, and suicide assessment. My Cumulative Factor Model is the first model to cumulatively ascertain both protective and risk factors for suicide among LGBT youth. I’ve also worked to spread awareness of suicide risks and preventative measures by providing expert commentary in media outlets nationwide.
I earned my bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and my master’s in counselor education and doctorate in counseling psychology from Temple University. I was appointed the inaugural Sandra Williams’ Postdoctoral Fellow at Temple, offering structural family therapy interventions for adolescent suicide attempters and their families. Most recently, I completed training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and am now a Certified DBT clinician.